Shingling-gage



(No Model.)

UL AVERY. SHINGLING GAGE.

Patented Apr. 12,1892;

A TTORIVEYJ.

V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHANCY AVERY, OF PLEASANT LAKE, INDIANA.

SHlNGLlNG-GAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,846, dated April 12, 1892.

Application filed August 31, 1891. Serial No. 404,231. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHANCY AVERY, of Pleasant Lake, in the county of Steuben and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Shingling- Gage, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive tool which in service will greatly expedite the work of affixing shingles to form a roof.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed."

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both of the figures.

Figure 1 is a side view,partlyin section, of the device in position for use and Fig. 2 is a reduced plan-view of two of the gages secured upon the end portions of two straight-edges, shown broken, and an intermediate straightedge, also shown broken, held in place by the other pieces that it loosely engages.

The main portion of the device consists of a single piece of metal, preferably steel. A bow-spring a is formed on this piece near its longitudinal center, which spring is curved flatwise and has sufficient resilience for its efficient service. spring a that in use will be lowermost is first bent at b and then at c and 0', thus producing two parts d e, that are in parallel planes and joined by a part f, that is at right angles to the portions d c, From the lower end of the portion f, where the part c is integrally joined to it,the latter is tapered on its upper side, so as to produce a wedge, the thin end 6' of which is free for insertion in a crevice. The other limbgof the bow-spring a is thickened where it lies opposite the thickened part cl and is apertured at g,said hole being longitudinally enlarged. At a point opposite the elongated hole 9 the portion d is perforated and tapped to receive the screw-shank hthat is preferably furnished with a crank-handle h, the boss of said crank on the side 71. that comes into contact with the upper surface of limb 9 when the screw is in place having a convex form, which will facilitate the adjustment of the screw. From the screw-body h the upper limb gis preferably tapered toward The end portion of the the end flatwise and is perforated ata proper distance apart in two places for the introduction of the wood-screws z' k.

In service two of the devices just described are used, one being affixed to each end portion of astrip of wood or metal A, that is technically termed a straight-edge, having its side edges parallel and the body of equal thickness throughout. The straight-edge A is shown in cross-section in Fig. 1 at the point of attachment of one of the gages, and, as indicated, is thereto secured with the screws '5 7c, which first penetrate the limb portion g and then enter the body of the straightedge, whereon said limb of the bow-spring is imposed. I

The straight-edge A is made equal 7 in breadth to the length of weather exposure to be given to the shingles and of a length con-' ,zenient to handle, which may be five or six eet.

The screw 10, which is inserted through the straight-edge A, near the edge which is adja cent to the corner 0 of limb portion (1, is pointed on its terminal that extends from the lower surface-of the straight-edge, so that the point is may be driven into a shingle where- Fig. 1.

Shingle roofs are laid from the eaves upwardly. To put the device in service, the wedge portion 6 of each gage is inserted between two lapped shingles at their butts or thicker lower ends, as shown at m in Fig. 1, the upright parts f being made to impinge on the shingle-butts. After the wedge portions e are fully inserted, the screws h are manipulated by rotating their crank-handles 71., so as to compress the bow-springs a, and thus clamp the straight.edge A. upon the row of shingle-butts, the screws it having their points is driven into the shingles they are opposite. The roofer now applies a row of shingles upon the parts of the shingles exposed above the straight-edge A, nailing them in place, and successive rows may be laid and secured by changing the gages and locating their wedge portions 6 below and the straight-edge A upon the butt portions of the row last secured.

Should it be desired to affix two rows of shingles in succession before shifting the straight-edge A, this may be effected by plac- .on the straight-edge is imposed, as shown in ing a loose straight-edge 13 upon the row of shingles that have their buttsin contact with the upper edge of the straight-edge A, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, this imposed straight-edge being preferably made of half the thickness given to the piece A. The next row of shingles abut their lowerends on the upper edge of the loose piece B, which latter, being of equal width with the straight-edge A, serves to gage the weather-exposure of the secured row of shingles whereon it is laid.

When the roof to be shingled is of considerable length, there may be an intermediate gage-strip 0 provided, as shown in Fig. 2, the edges of which are held in alignment with the edges of the straight-edges A by cleats 0, that are secured to the lower edge of each straight-edge A, so as to project from their ends and afford seats whereon the lower edge of the middle gage-strip or "straight-edge (J rests at each end, where the straight-edges A are clamped to the butts of a rowof shingles, this arrangement of parts affording greater length to the gaging straight-edges and more room for roofers to work ina line.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A shingling-gage comprising a bowspring, the limbs of which are extended in the same direction, one limb wedge-shaped flatwise and the'other limb perforated to receivescrews, which attach the gage to an elongated strip, said limbs oppositely apertured for a clamping-screw, and a clamping-screw, for the limbs, substantially as described.

2. A shingling-gage comprising a bows'pring, one limb of which is perforated for screws, the other limb bent first at a right angle away from the perforated limb and then forwardly, the extended portion being wedgeshaped, both limbs being perforated to receive a clamping-screw, and a clamping-screw loose in one limb and in threaded engagement with the other limb, substantially as described.

3. A shingling-gage formed of one piece of metal bent into a bow-spring near its longitudinal center to produce limbs that are perforated oppositely to receive a clampingscrew, which has threaded engagement with one limb and passes loosely through the other limb, which is perforated for screws, and two screws that enter a gage-strip and retain the gage device at a right angle thereto, substantially as described.

4:. Ashingling-gage formed of a fiat piece of metal bent into a bow-spring, its limbs thus formed extending in the same direction, one limb bent outwardly from the'otherlimb and then forwardly and wedge-shaped toward the end, having a threaded orifice near the bow-spring to receive a clamping-screw, the straight limb being provided with an elongated aperture, wherein the clamping-screw loosely slides, and also perforated nearer the end to admit screws that enter a gage-strip, substantially as described.

. 5. The combination, with an elongated gagestrip, of a clamping-gage comprising a bowspring the lower limb of which is bent at a right angle away from the upper limb and is wedge-shaped flatwise and the upper limb perforated to admit two screws, one screw securing it to the gage-strip and the other screw pointed and projecting through the gagestrip, and a handled clamping-screw passing through the upper limb-of the clamping-gage and engaging its threaded body with a tapped hole in the lower limb, substantially as described.

CHAN CY AVERY.

Witnesses:

GUY GASKILL, FRANK BENNETT. 

